In June 2012 HEA Social Sciences held its first learning and teaching summit which focused on teaching research methods in the Social Sciences. In December 2012 we commissioned 11 projects that were designed to explore further the issues identified at the summit.
Innovation in assessment is often hidden within institutions and certainly not often shared between them. As a result many of us spend our time reinventing the wheel – coming up with assessment regimes and trying to stimulate and engage students with our own ideas. This is all well and good but imagine how much time we could save by pooling our ideas and innovations and by working collaboratively rather than atomistically.
With this in mind this project investigated how a diversification in the assessment of research methods in the Social Sciences can improve the student experience of a typically ‘unpopular’ subject and ensure that deep learning is taking place across the whole curriculum (qualitative and quantitative methods).
The rationale for this project is an argument for the reorientation of research methods modules as learning environments in which students develop competencies as well as critical skills. In this sense models of research methods teaching should be seen as closer to the natural sciences than the humanities and we need to provide a curriculum in which students can explicitly practice and hone their ‘hard skills’ (i.e. in a lab session with computers). Such innovation in what and how we teach must be followed with remodelled and appropriate assessments to ensure constructive alignment within the curriculum.